Scholarships and Applying for Financial Aid

Watch for Scholarship information published by the guidance department throughout the year. These lists include local scholarship applications that have been mailed to the Guidance Office.

Look for more sources. The Guidance Center has on its section of the schools website a number of financial aid resources and scholarship search websites e.g. www.fastweb.com, www.collegeboard.org , www.educationplanner.org and www.finaid.com. Students who are residents of Maryland should go to www.mhec.state.md.us.

When you decide on a school, let them know you are interested in financial aid, so they can help you know what is available at their school. They may have an additional financial aid form for you to fill out.

In October, submit the Free Application for Federal StudentAid (FAFSA) form. This form will determine how much you get in grants and other aid based on need. Do this early even if you have not decided on a college. Forms cannot be postmarked earlier than Oct. 1.

The Profile Form issued by the College Board (the CSS Profile); certain schools (usually private schools) require families to complete this form. It is important to complete this form as early as possible. It may be submitted as soon as it is completed.

Guidelines for Students Seekng Financial Aid for College Athletics

Determine, as realistically as possible, the extent of your athletic ability. Are you a select "super star", a walk-on who will earn a scholarship, a participant who will require other kinds of financial aid (needbased)? At what level of difficulty will you be able to compete?

Get a head start on deciding academic and career goals, as much as you can. This will limit your college choices to a reasonable number with whom you can work more intensely.

Consult with parents, coaches, counselors, and other sources of information as you trim down your list of those with whom you will communicate.

By the fall of your senior year, write a letter of introduction to each college's athletic department covering the following points:

◊ Personal information: age, physical characteristics, height, weight, address, high school, phone number, year in school.

◊ Academic information: grades, class rank, courses, SAT/ACT test scores, honors, intended major.

◊ Athletic information: sports, experience, statistics, awards, special training/skills, clippings from newspaper.

Send a duplicate copy of your letter to the college's admissions office, requesting application forms and additional relevant information on academics and finances. Ū

Ask the coach to write a recommendation for you. He (she) knows what points to cover.

File a regular application and financial aid form in anticipation of the deadlines.

Communicate with coaches and counselors on responses and your continuing interests in various schools and programs.

Prepare with coaches, counselors for prospective interviews.

If necessary, please refer to www.eligibilitycenter.org, the website for the NCAA Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse. Registration is required if a student plans on participating in athletics at the Division I or II level. Please refer to the list of NCAA approved courses in Delone Catholic’s Course Catalog, as not all offerings are recognized as core courses.

Key Point: Scholarships do not come out of the blue, few receive full scholarship consideration and most students must be prepared to do about 90% of the work involved themselves.